I always wonder how these things are determined. Does a 6th grade reading level mean that you cannot read above that level (simplifying here), or just that you generally don’t read above it? Never in my adult life have I taken a survey/test that would generate the statistics like this that we always see, nor do I know anyone that has (which isn’t to say that they aren’t happening). If the media being generated for me is written at a lower level, and that’s what they are basing these types of statistics off of, that’s not reflective of my abilities. Don’t get me wrong, my country is beyond fucked, but I’m not really a fan of how the author of this article tried to make their point (and I’m not just talking about the reading level statistic).
This is an op-ed disguised as a news story. It doesn’t even tell me who did the study, doesn’t tell me where to find it, gives me nothing, and then goes off on some very politically charged tangents.
It says Americans are dumb though, so to the top with you!
It’s been a while since I read about it, but if I remember correctly it’s roughly the level medication directions are written in. Simple, direct language that’s hard to misinterpret. People at that reading level can read levels above it, but struggle to comprehend it.
That kind of seems like the responsible thing to do with medications regardless, remove any possible ambiguity. I can read well above these levels and when I create standard operating procedures I attempt to do the same thing. Clear, concise, repeatable, and limit jargon as much as possible. A network admin, system admin, help desk person, or someone fresh off the line might need to follow them one day and I can’t assume they have the same foundational knowledge or environmental familiarity that I do. What I do is also a lot less important and has a far narrower reach than medication.
Used to work at ATT. They used a goddamn dictionary tool for their abbreviations. And some were used for five things or more. You had to read them in context to differentiate. A damn nightmare.
I always wonder how these things are determined. Does a 6th grade reading level mean that you cannot read above that level (simplifying here), or just that you generally don’t read above it? Never in my adult life have I taken a survey/test that would generate the statistics like this that we always see, nor do I know anyone that has (which isn’t to say that they aren’t happening). If the media being generated for me is written at a lower level, and that’s what they are basing these types of statistics off of, that’s not reflective of my abilities. Don’t get me wrong, my country is beyond fucked, but I’m not really a fan of how the author of this article tried to make their point (and I’m not just talking about the reading level statistic).
This is an op-ed disguised as a news story. It doesn’t even tell me who did the study, doesn’t tell me where to find it, gives me nothing, and then goes off on some very politically charged tangents.
It says Americans are dumb though, so to the top with you!
It’s been a while since I read about it, but if I remember correctly it’s roughly the level medication directions are written in. Simple, direct language that’s hard to misinterpret. People at that reading level can read levels above it, but struggle to comprehend it.
That kind of seems like the responsible thing to do with medications regardless, remove any possible ambiguity. I can read well above these levels and when I create standard operating procedures I attempt to do the same thing. Clear, concise, repeatable, and limit jargon as much as possible. A network admin, system admin, help desk person, or someone fresh off the line might need to follow them one day and I can’t assume they have the same foundational knowledge or environmental familiarity that I do. What I do is also a lot less important and has a far narrower reach than medication.
Used to work at ATT. They used a goddamn dictionary tool for their abbreviations. And some were used for five things or more. You had to read them in context to differentiate. A damn nightmare.